The untold story of the Titanic

“I am a survivor of the Titanic. When I was drifting
alone on the spar that awful night, the tide brought Mr John Harper of Glasgow,
also on a piece of wreck, near me. ‘Man,’ he said, ‘Are you saved?’ ‘No,’ I
said, ‘I am not.’ He replied, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be
saved.’ The waves bore him away; but, strange to say brought him back a little
later, and he said, ‘Are you saved now?’ ‘No,’ I said, ‘I cannot honestly say
that I am.’ He said again, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved,’ and shortly after he went down; and there, alone in the night, and with
two miles of water under me, I believed. I am John Harper’s last convert.”

It is approximately 108
years since the Titanic sunk, but such a grand scale sea tragedy cannot be
forgotten in just a century. A century is such a short time in history.

The opening words belong
to one Aguilla Webb, a Titanic survivor, as narrated in Moody Adam’s book ‘The
Titanic’s Last Hero.’ Aguilla Webb gave the testimony in Canada four years
after the dreadful Titanic disaster.

It is strange that John
Harper, who was one of the passengers on the ill-fated Titanic, is one of the
least mentioned whenever the Titanic account is retold. Harper was a Scottish
preacher travelling to the Moody Church in Chicago, United States, for a
preaching assignment.

It is reported that
Harper was travelling with her daughter, little Miss Nina Harper. The girl was
only six years old. Jessie Leith, the cousin to the little girl was also
aboard. As the things went south on the night of April 14, 1912, Reverend
Harper wrapped his daughter in a blanket, told her that she would see him one
day, and passed her to one of the crewmen. Children and women were given
priority in the few available lifeboats. It was not survival of the fittest.
Rather the strong let the weak survive. The evolution theory could not work
here.

Watch ye, stand fast
in the faith, quit ye like men (act like men), be strong, let all your things
be done with charity (Love)” (1 Cor. 16:13-14).

The Reverend removed his
lifejacket and gave it to one of the passengers. One of the survivors heard him
shout, “Women, children, and the unsaved into the lifeboats!”

“Because He laid down
His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John
3:16). May God raise up such men!

He then ran along the
decks entreating people to turn to Christ. By then the fate had been sealed;
the ship was sinking, and there was not going to be any help for those
remaining on board. He then called upon ship orchestra to play, “Nearer, My
God, to Thee.”

As the ship began to
rock, Harper jumped into the cold ocean waters and frantically swam to all he
could reach, pleading with them to be saved before hypothermia got the best of
him.

The early morning of
April 15, 1912, was indeed dark. But for Harper, it was as bright as the
Morning Star. The orchestra that had tried to keep the passengers’ spirits high
also went down as they sang their last.

“Hold me up in mighty
waters

Keep my eyes on things above,

Righteousness, divine Atonement,

Peace and everlasting Love.”

Only seven people were
pulled from the cold water alive that night, and Aguilla Webb was one of them.

The story of Harper is a
challenge to us. We need to seize every opportunity available and share the
Good news of Jesus Christ. Nothing should separate us from the Love of God.
Nothing ought to stop us from spreading the Gospel.

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About Me

Allan Endeheli is a born again Christian with more than seven years experience in Children
Church Ministry. Allan has been consistently writing articles for three years with a bias in
Christian Apologetics, Inspiration, Meditations and Devotions. His articles are thoroughly
researched and grounded in the Scripture. He mostly does expository, persuasive, narrative and
descriptive writing